The Final Purge and a Jackass of the Day Award
So that I do not dwell on this any further, I feel the need to do a “final purge” of the happenings the past few days on this blog. Some of you know of the huge dump that the Washington Post’s blog “IntelDump” took on my blog the other day. We were an easy target for the blog author Phillip Carter, so we were thrown under the bus and he got noticed. Nice, eh? The funny thing is, Carter claimed in his article that the real issue at hand was the fact that “Stand To” linked to an article that was clearly an anti-Obama piece, but the problem is he did not really make that the focus of the entry. He quotes and talks more about our blog and what Mr. H! wrote. He even made sure to purposely inflame his readership by linking us with Limbaugh and Fox News (accusing us of only using these two as sources of information). He set it up. He forgot to reiterate to his readership that the real issue at hand was the military, not us. Convienent, no?
I got thousands of hits that day from Washington Post and several other sources that had linked to his article. I went to Washington Post and posted on the comment thread twice. I was respectful both times, but I would like my readers to read a couple of comments left on Phillip Carter’s blog for me. These were lifted verbatim, copied and pasted. I refuse to link to his blog, so if you want the source just Google his name and the name of his blog.
may be your son who is on duty in Iraq,, should come in a box,, or some of his limbs blown away,,, or come home with mental problems and are the govt is slow to give proper medical treatment,, then your eyes will be wide open,, isn’t it,,
Posted by: mugambo | June 12, 2008 5:56 PM
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I hope that former army officers’s son doesn’t ever come home
Posted by: madashell | June 12, 2008 9:51 PM
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Thank God that Carter reads and pays about as close attention as his readers do. My son is already home, safe and sound. The crap-weasels who wrote those comments did so believing my son is still in Iraq (because Carter stated so). Aren’t they nice. Aren’t they oh so loving and progressive?
WaPo’s commenting policy states that “… User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site.”
If I follow Carter’s own assertion to its logical conclusion (that linking to something equates endorsement), then I am left to draw one conclusion about his leaving (or linking if you will) comments on his blog that wishes the death of a deployed soldier: The Washington Post and Phillip Carter endorse the wishing death on a deployed soldier and stating such to his parents. If they did not think it was acceptable they would have removed it. As it stands now I really could give a rat’s behind what they do — they can remove it to try and save face, but I don’t think they care. I am sure they support our troops though, right?
I have received emails telling me that I should be dead, that my family should be dead (they are clever enough to not say that they want to kill me, so charges can’t be brought … but duh, it’s obviously a death threat). I have been called a Nazi.
The Nazi comments crack me up. I have never once in my entire life ever tried to silence another American Citizen by threat or intimdation, and yet the amoral asses who write those emails have the audacity to call ME the Nazi! Is that not the most delicious irony you have ever tasted in your life? I exercise my right to free speech, I am threatened and intimidated by fellow citizens because of it, and somehow I am the Nazi? Wow. This right here shows you the mentality I have been up against for the past couple of days.
I have deleted a lot of comments left here on my blog. I immediately came to KDIH once I realized I had been linked to and was a target for flaming, and got rid of my “about the author” page and put the comments on moderation. They will have to remain on moderation for a while. I am going to register my regular readers (those who comment frequently that I know) and erase the rest of the registered readers. You will have to register to comment at will and be approved to do so. All others will go through moderation until I am ready to register them. It’s a safe guard. I do a lot of work from home, I take care of a family, and I am dealing with some very painful orthopedic problems right now — I don’t have time to babysit my blog.
This was never an issue before in the past year that I have been writing, but thanks to Carter it is now. Which leaves me no other option than to award him the Knee Deep in the Hooah!’s official, prestigious “Jackass of the Day Award.”
Mr. Carter earned this award, not for exercising his right to free speech, but because of the unwarranted, unnecessary “bitch slap” we got from him and his readers for exercising our right to free speech. He also earned it for leaving comments on his blog wishing my son death, dismemberment or mental problems, and in doing so indirectly supporting that kind of speech to military members and their families.
So, here’s to you Phillip Carter (aka Mr.Ex-MP, Mr. Ex-Civil Affairs guy, and Mr. I’m all for the Vets.) Here’s to you.
Claire and Mr. Hooah!
I’d like to keep things light for the moment….and get a hit list of sites where I can fart in their general direction. My gas is worse than Sadaam’s ever was.
Also, I’d be happy to write on the general aspects of the GI Bill whenever you’d like . Also, an attempt at objective (with a huge dose of toilet humor) of the Election and Politics here for everyone overseas. I mean, our men and women in combat need some links to funny stuff. I am really holding back on cursing. Don’t know the rules of the road here and bowel movement.
Jackass Award? Don’t insult jackasses. As to the sickos, you cannot reason with them. Unless they are exposed. Email me and I can maybe help you out on that one. Black Ops.stuff. My address is on the blog. Oh yeah, it’s up top too.
As frar as Nowhere Man… It’ll hit me at some point. Probably when I rip McCain.
We can agree to disagree and laugh. The best medicine. As an Obama supporter, I would contend one must weigh all of the issues, objectively look at the way the country has gone downhill for eight years, and realize, the economy is an important issue too.
Sgt. PepperPolitics Out!
P.S. Have you tried asking them to write a retraction and apology? There are other writers at The Post. I wonder if they have seen the consequences of their actions. Any good reporter ought write about both sides of the issue and take a time out.
Oh Claire, this is making me sick. That quote from one of the comments just inflamed me. Today I cannot, but I will be finding these jackasses. It’s reprehensible to suggest that a person’s child “come home in a box” I can’t tell you what a gut-punch it is to see those words directed at you when I know fully what those words mean. So very painful. So very wrong.
Carry on Claire, carry on. Do what you have to do and know we are with you.
I can’t say I agree with your politics, but I do sympathize with your situation - really, you’re just a private citizen voicing personal opinions on your own site, probably paying for the hosting/domain out of pocket with very little recouped on ads/merchandise. We soldiers, even liberal Obama supporters like myself, appreciate all the charitable/volunteer support from people like your family.
I find it regrettable that Phil Carter referenced this whole affair again with a weak non-apologyyester day without really hitting home that the target of his criticism was (or at least should have been) the Army PA guys choosing to link to blatantly political commentary online. But I think the criticism is valid, and that publicly accessible DoD-maintained websites shouldn’t be linking to political commentary on any end of the spectrum. But the attention and ire of the more vocal commenters seems misplaced - you and your husband played no role in getting linked to, so it really shouldn’t involve you guys more than tangentially.
Best of luck in cleaning up after the fallout until this is all forgotten (by the internet masses, at least) in a few days.
SgtPP, the way the country has gone down in the past 8 years? How about the fact that we have not had a major Terrorists attack on the homeland since September 11th? I may not agree with President Bush on certain issues but I can’t imagine anyone not given him at least partial credit for this very major feat.
Claire, I don’t know how you’ve done it. I only wish I had half your patience and grace. Keep up the good work!
SgtPP - Thanks man. I might take you up on some of that. Let me get back to you. As for keeping it all light … yep, lite/light gas is probably the way to go. This is still mostly a family oriented site! LOL! You and I could probably change that orientation but I really don’t want to sleep on the couch for the next month. So lets don’t.
Bon, Shane - Thank you for the support. It really is much appreciated. Shane, you might be surprised to know we don’t actually make anything on this site. It’s strictly out of pocket. Then again you’re pretty insightful so it might not surprise you at all.
Ilja - Always good to hear from you!
Ilja, SgtPP - You two remember to play nice while your here. Remember, Momma is watching!!
Besides … I’m the only one allowed to throw flames around these parts. LOL!! 
BTW, as an aside, yeah the country really has changed in the last eight years. I think Bush deserves partial credit for both the good AND the bad. However, Congress has more than its fair share of responsibility for all this. Then I add in a little influence from the Supreme Court in my thinking and I have to conclude that the reasons for change are far more complex than any one man can be blamed for. I’m so disappointed in so many of our leaders that I really don’t know what I’m going to do this election year. (And that’s the end of my non-inflamitory, non-humorous, comment. Now back to my regular over the top posting self.)
There are many things I would like to say to the ********* who came on here…But, as Mr Hooaah says, this is a family oriented site….;)
I MAY - however - have a few words to say elsewhere..lol
YOU know, Mr and Mrs Hooah and family - this brat stands with you..
With love.
Bon, I thought of you before I posted the comments. You and my son were the main two people on my mind. I didn’t want it to hurt either of you. I felt it was important to let people hear what is being said to us, mainly because there are so many people who deny that troops are mistreated by whackos. It was a hard decision, and I know you understand why I posted it, but I want to be sure you know that I didn’t do it without my most precious gold star mom in mind and in heart. (((hugs)))
Golly. I hope you all are doing ok. Take care!
Kristen
Wow. Just unreal. I thought I get called ugly things, but this is wild.
I just wanted to offer up my support to you and your family claire. As a person who doesnt live anywhere near the united states and has no understanding of your politics im gobsmacked that certain personalites can wish such horrible things on others and get away with it. how is this possible. and all because you dont agree with the political choice that they do.. i personally dont see the big drama in the military linking to your site or any other site for that matter. it is after all a free country ISNT IT????… i thought it was.
keep your chin up, they arent worth a second more of your time and effort.
Big hugs Claire, I knew. I’m glad you posted because people need to understand what is unacceptable. Acceptable is stating a reasonable opinion and position. Delivering gut-punches to those who serve this country, regardless of personally held opinions is not.
I thought of you and TS, it just should never have happened.
That’s some pretty hard stuff. I was rather enraged after reading that. There is absolutely nothing anyone could possibly write that is in any way deserving of that kind of hateful response. Especially when there are families living through that agony every week. Not as many as in the past, but even one is too many.
I was pretty shocked to see that anyone would do that. Like my mom, Susan, just said, we’ve heard some pretty ugly things. Colorado ain’t a nice place for military families. I’m very sorry that you had to suffer through that experience. I applaud your intestinal fortitude as well. I probably would have flipped out.
I’m very glad to hear that your son came back in one piece. I hope he continues to serve with distinction and honor, that he lives to be old, and that he can one day sit down with his grandchildren, and tell them about when he was young, when he went to faraway places, when he went to war and gave of himself so that his family had a safe place to call home.
Anybody saying that soldiers should come home in a box, does so simply because they can’t stand the thought of their own cowardice and worthlessness, and so feel that they must post anonymous threats and attacks in order to assuage their own consciences.
Don’t worry. Deep down, they’re actually thankful for the fact that we exist to protect their sorry butts. Lord knows they don’t have the grit to do it themselves.
Well, Claire, no surprises to me here. I’ve been part of an outdoors related website for years and the pseudolibs on it pretty much have the same attittude. Anyone says anything that supports or espouses conservative values and its balst away time. I fianly stopped posting there while my son was deployed in Iraq and did not read much of the tripe either. Its not enough for them to be anti-Bush and to hate him, but they also hate anyone who disagrees with them.
Claire, Mr Carter well deserves the Mr Jackass award and I’m glad you’ve chosen to bestow it. Remeber though, whatever they do, don’t let the jackasses of the world get you down. They can’t win with ideas and principles, so they try personal attacks (much like the sample posts you copied). Those comments aren’t worth the “Es” they’re written with and only demonstrate their author’s lack of substance. Hang in there! We’re with you!
I’m sorry some folks felt compelled to vent such hatred and anger to you. They clearly don’t understand what the service is all about, and have likely never served. I’m a veteran, and Obama supporter, and was led to your blog from an Obama group on multiply.com, where a link was posted to it to complain of the DoD’s linking to your private blog. While there may be some conversation worthy of having about DoD’s decision to link to your blog, all in all more conversation and free speech is the only way to resolve it all, so I say they should continue to do so.
Please know that not all Obama supporters, or folks opposed to the Iraq war, are such idiots as those who posted the vile statements.
Thank you all for the support. It was a rough few days that’s for sure. The hardest part is gritting your teeth and not posting things back on the other blogs and not responding to the emails. It’s what they want. They want the attention and they want you to react to them when you are enraged. Well, they will not get from me what they want. :)
ChrsG, I would never place a blanket blame that way. I know that there are people who have posted here, and people I call friends who are going to vote for Obama. I only blame the people who actually do the hate flaming. To blame you or anyone else who has not done such a thing would be to displace responsibility. You are not responsible for their decisions. Just like I don’t blame Obama for what these people have said, and I don’t even blame the WaPo blog author for their actions. I blame him for the negative and inflammatory words… but he is not responsible for what the loose cannons say directly. Thank you for the kind words.
I recently left a website called ironically Cafemom
I was on there for a couple of years.
One of these pieces of crap wrote somethin like this on one of her posts.. it took the “staff” a while to remove it, yet if someone ELSE says somethin they didn’t like.. POOF 2 minutes and done
I wrote a post sayin basically what FILTHY monsters these “people” are and a few OTHER choice words.. they DELETED MY POST within MOMENTS!!
I had OVER 250 friends and was a very popular member..
however I COULD NOT remain on a site that would “allow” this type of talk..
so I TOLD the bastards to DELETE my account.. it is the VERY VERY least I could do to show how adament I am about it..
I am sorry, I am sorry that there are monsters out there such as this..
May the Lord bless your whole family and ALL of out troops